


A Spring Path

by Sokorra



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-07
Updated: 2014-09-20
Packaged: 2018-02-16 10:46:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2266857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sokorra/pseuds/Sokorra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As the war with the Others concludes, minds turn to other matters.  Jaime and Brienne have a different future then they expected, and Tommen and Daenerys have some decisions to make as their future as Royals.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Jaime & Brienne

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at GOT/ASOIAF fanfic. Most of my characterization cues are coming from the TV series as I'm only about 200 pages into Clash of Kings right now and quite a few of the characters in this story haven't had a POV chapter yet, and one or two haven't even been introduced yet.
> 
> I therefore apologize ahead of time for any lapses in characterizations or in references to past things that I may have only heard in summaries on Tumblr. If you notice something, please let me know so I can improve:)
> 
> Also this story has more to it, but I'm not happy with it right now, so I'm posting this (which was posted in a similar form on Tumblr a few nights ago) and will post sections up as I write them and feel alright posting them. So think of it as a series of one shots within the same time frame.
> 
> This fic is also slightly inspired by the movie step mom so expect in future installments some interaction with Myrcella and Tommen with Brienne.

Jamie found his wife outside, leaning against one of the ruins of the outbuildings that the rebuilders of Winterfall had not yet reached, staring out upon the winter wasteland that stretched past the walls. She was wrapped in furs, but he still felt strangely irritated with her that she had chosen to stray outdoors when a perfectly good (and warm) hearth was an option.

“Wench,” he commented from far enough away that if he had startled her she would have have recognized him before landing any blows. She indeed jumped a little, which made him smile, but then rolled her eyes and turned her eyes back to the white snow. “You realise its cold out here.”

“No, I thought I was in a sauna,” she said, turning back to him. Since she had met him, her sarcasm had increased. “Why aren’t you inside?”

“I realised my wife wasn’t sitting next to me anymore and I wanted to know why.”

“I needed some thinking space.”

“In the snow?"

“No one but you followed me out.”

“No one but me is insane enough to do so.” He walked up to her and slide his arms around her, enjoying that her slight height advantage put her neck at just the right spot to rest his chin on her shoulder without leaning down. “Care to share what you needed to think about?” Being so closed to each other allowed them to share the warmth of their cloaks and bodies and it started to feel a little less cold to him.

“A conversation with your daughter.” He leaned away slightly. Partially because he was curious what Myrcella and Brienne would talk about and partially because he wasn’t used to anyone referring to her as his daughter. People had called Tommen and Joffrey his sons, especially the later as they wished to explain away his cruelty as a result of the incest, but people seldom brought Mrycella into it.

“What about?”

“She was irritated that I had gone to battle.” What they thought might be the last battle of the war against the Walkers had happened the day before, and they had just arrived back in Winterfell that afternoon. Hopefully there would be nothing more then a few skirmishs in this war, and the Others would fade back into hibernation for another thousand years.

Or better yet, just go away completely.

“She knows you are a warrior.” He had never heard his daughter make a comment about Brienne’s knighthood in a negative way. Myrcella often seemed to hold Brienne’s commitment to who she was in good esteem.

“Yes, but she had some relevant points to make.” She turned around in his arms, putting her arms around him in return. “She noticed things about me I should have noticed myself.”

“Brienne.” It was much too cold, even holding her close, for her to beat around the bush.

“Its a little embarrassing to have your fifteen year old step-daughter slash niece tell you you might be pregnant when you had no clue to even look for the signs. And they were all around me.” He didn’t respond.. He wasn’t even sure what to say. They hadn’t discussed children, not in any outright way. He had assumed they wouldn’t have any. He wasn’t getting any younger and while Brienne was well within the age of childbearing, she was closer to the end then to the start and besides that Knighthood did not exactly lend itself to motherhood. She had never seemed to have the desire to have children.

“The fact that I’ve felt ill at random times of day,” she continued, not really looking at him, just something on his shoulder. “The fact that Pod is starting to have trouble with my armor.” They really needed to knight that boy. “My tiredness the past few weeks, the fact that I suddenly have super smelling abilities and things that normally don’t bother me make me gag?” She looked up into his eyes at last. He started to see she wasn’t very sure about this either, her blue eyes showed her fear. “The fact that I haven’t...” she paused, blushing. “I saw the maester afterwards. He seems to agree with Myrcella.”

He was going to be a father. True, he was in technicality a father already. But they were shared children. They might be his by blood, but they were Cersei’s regardless and Robert’s by mind and heart.

He remembered the night he came to Kings Landing to try and get Tommen to escape, to leave and leave the Keep for the Mother of Dragons to find empty. Tommen had confronted him with the information, angry at being lied to. I can look in the fucking mirror., Jaime had been stunned by Tommen’s angry rant because he was usually so docile, but it also made him realise the price his children were paying for their father’s lies. Tommen was right. While Joffrey looked like an amalgamation of Lannisters, Tommen had been a carbon copy of his blood father. As he got older, the more obvious it got.

Myrcella had yet to say anything to him directly about whether she knew, but given the fact that she very carefully called him neither father nor Uncle told him that she did know. She wasn’t sure what to make of it, but she did know. She had been there when Ned Stark had declared it for the court to hear.

Oddly, despite being at odds with him, they both adored Brienne.

This child though. This was his child, her child. No third person involved. No question of who's name it would bear. Somewhere in whatever of the seven hells he had been sent to his father was grinning, Jaime was sure, at the fact that he was finally getting what he wanted.

Jaime no longer a Kingsguard (thank you Tyrell), married to a high born lady (happily which would have surprised Jaime of just a few years ago), and about to bring to the world a child actually named Lannister.

“I’m sorry,” Brienne was saying. “I know this is untimely and frankly you never seemed to express an interest in children.” That was true. Outside of Cersei, for the longest time he had wanted no wife, no children, no legacy except the White book.

But Brienne had come into his life. And slowly she had started to change him. Well, make him want to change. For himself, for her, for his children-who-were-not-his-children. To be a better man. And he had slowly without meaning to fallen in love with her. When Mace Tyrell’s letter disbanding the King’s Guard had arrived at the Vale, he had realised that maybe he could have what his Father had wanted, and actually be happy about it. It had given him a chance he hadn’t wanted till he actually was given it.

So he had dragged Brienne (happily) to a Septon and married her before they took off to the wall to reunite the Stark siblings. Sansa and Robert Arryn had stood witness, the old Septon looking at them suspiciously. Granted, given the rushed wedding and the reputation the two of them had garnered, the Septon probably thought it was an already consummated relationship with proof on the way.

Instead here they were a year later, still happily married and trying to deal with an unplanned pregnancy. She was right. The war might seem to be over, but wars were rarely that simple. Even after the final decisive victory there were usually smaller skirmishes as people waited to get the news. Then there was rebuilding. And with Tommen still needing to be officially abdicated as he promised the Targaryen Queen for the use of her dragons, they were needed to take the young King to Kings Landing for the ceremony.

Then of course they had to figure out where this young lion cub was going to be raised.  He was certain that Tyrion would claim Casterly Rock, and there was no certainty in Tarth being given back to Brienne.  He tried not to think of the other questions to be answered.  There was a possibility he wouldn’t live to see this child born.  That he wouldn’t know if he could do the whole Father thing because his head would be hung above Kings Landing for killing Aerys.

But he said none of this outloud, instead be pulled her closer and kisssed her on her temple.

“Can we name her Joanna?”  he finally asked.  He had always liked the name, had wanted to name one of his children that.  Cersei hadn’t cared for the idea of naming a child after someone who died, but then Cersei was supersititious. Sometimes she was right though.  Brienne he thought would know it was not about giving the child a legacy to fulfill but rather honoring someone.

“You think its going to be a girl?”

“Just like her mother,” he teased, glad to see her smile return.  “I’ll no doubt be dreading her growing up asking me to teach her swordplay.”

“Lets hope she has her father’s good looks and her mother’s good sense,” she teased right back.  “But it could be a boy, you know.  After all, boys seem the be the majority of the Lannister clan.”

“Galladon then,” he commented, knowing she would want to name a child after her brother if they were going to name their child after someone.”

“Actually,” and she blushed slightly,  “I was thinking Rhodri.”

“Rhodri?”

“It means King.”  She shrugged.  “He’ll at least have something in common with his brothers.”

“Rhodri Lannister of Tarth,”  he said considering the name.  “I like it.  You seem to have thought more on this then I would have suspected.

“To be fair when I thought about that name I was betrothed to quite a different man.”

“Please tell me not Connington.  It would put me off the name.”

“No, not him. An earlier one. “ She laughed.  “So its Joanna or Rhodri then.  At least that's one thing settled.”

“Can the other things wait until we are inside where its warm. I don’t think freezing to a wall in Winterfell is the best way to start off this whole parent business.”  He stepped away and took her hand in his and started walking towards where they were being lodged.  “And we have a few people to tell.”


	2. Brienne & Sansa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brienne tells Sansa about the baby. They briefly touch on the optimistic and the sad.

Brienne was nervous. She was nervous in general because after she left Tarth, she had decided (or felt it was the way things were) that she would not be a mother.  She was a knight.  She was part of the Rainbow Guard and would have neither a husband nor a child.  She had been fine with that, at the time deciding if she could not wed Renly, what was the point in marrying at all.  All her suitors had not been suitable for various reasons and there was only so much she would put her father through.

She was quite happy with that end plan.  Being in the King’s Rainbow guard had been an honor, and she never regretted making that decision.

However, after Renly died, her life had taken drastic turns that she almost felt like she’d never find her way back. Her loyalty to Catelyn Stark had introduced her to Jaime Lannister, and the end result was another reason why she was nervous.

She had to announce to Catelyn’s daughter, who in a twist of fate was her sister-in-law, as well as a group of people who were now her family but which she did not know well that she was expecting.

She, Brienne of Tarth who had believed a few short years ago would forever be known as Renly’s Maiden Knight, was going to have a child.  Who knew that a simple walk across the country from the Riverlands to Kings Landing would have led to all of this.

When she stood outside in the cold, trying to put her thoughts together, she had found she had little to regret in her years since Renly’s death.  She still did not regret loving her King (and he would always be King in her mind, even if she called someone else “your grace” out loud), and she did not regret pledging herself to Catelyn Stark.

She didn’t regret finding love a second time with Jaime Lannister, though he had often times tried to convince her she had reason to.  As much as she doubted that Jaime had a reason to love her, she had found he equally had his doubts.

His reaction to learning about their child had relieved some of her fears.  Given his history of fatherhood she wasn’t sure he’d be happy.  His response hadn’t been one of overjoyed exhilaration, but he certainly hadn’t seemed angry or disinterested.

It was bad timing, with so much unsettled, but then again, did children ever come in a timely manner?  She suspected she could ask the women of the Winterfell camp and would come up with the answer of laughter at the very idea.

She made a list in her head of who to tell when.  Jaime had the job of informing his children and their mother (she wanted to be no where near when Cersei found out she was going to be an Aunt).  Brienne had the job of informing her liege, which included telling Jaime’s brother Tyrion.  Her pledge to Catelyn had been given to Sansa in her heart if not officially, but with Sansa trying to figure out if she wanted to stay married to her husband or annul it, for now Tyrion was Lord Consort of Winterfell.

She stood in front of the big doors that closed off the Lady’s seeing room from the hall.  The stone was still black from the ravages of Bolton and Snow, but the door was fresh oak from the nearby forest, its metal hinges still shiney.  It odd mix of the old and the new.

She knocked and waited till she heard  Sansa’s quiet ‘enter’ before opening the doors.  They weren’t as heavy as she suspected the originals were, but she opened it slowly as if one more second would give her the words to say.

“Brienne!”  Sansa said, her face brightening with a smile.  The eldest Stark daughter had grown fond of her mother’s knight, especially after she helped rid Sansa of Petyr Baelish’s presence. Granted, it had been Sansa who had made the final push that sent Baelish through the moon door that he had so calmly pushed his own wife out of.  

“Lady Sansa.”

“Please, just Sansa. We are sisters now,” she said with a grin.  It was nice to see Sansa happy after having gone through so much.  She was home, although it was still in massive need of repairs, she had her sister and two brothers back, and it seemed like things were heading towards better.

Plus when Cersei arrived, Sansa was able to smack the woman without anyone stopping her.  Cersei had remarkably taken it without any comment which had made her brothers worry for a few days wondering when she’d make them pay.

The war had changed even Cersei it seemed.

“If that is what you wish,”  Brienne moved to sit across from Sansa after the younger woman had held out a hand towards the chair.  A warm pot sat between them, only one of the set of four cups filled with whatever liquid was warmed in the pot.

“Not that you are not free to visit me without reason, but may I ask what made you call?”  Sansa poured Brienne a cup of a dark brew and placed the cup in front of her.  Brienne took a sip, instantly recognizing the taste of mulled wine.  The warmth was a welcome one.

“I had to discuss something with you...regarding my services.”

“Ah, I wanted to talk to you that as well.”

“You do?”

“Yes. As you know, Tyrion and I are going to try and make a go of it.  Frankly I’m tired of being betrothed to one man or another, and this keeps me from having to marry one of the Northern men.  They can complain about my husband, but they can’t complain about me choosing one over the other.”  While Danys would be Queen of the realm, it was unofficially still going to be Sansa who ruled the North.  She had been there to hear the two women discuss it.   Danys would be the offical queen, but she would divide her kingdom into parts and set a regional ‘queen’ to better care for the needs of the region.  Technically Sansa would be Warden of the North and it would pass to her eldest child.

“Yes, I recall you mentioning that.”  

“Well, we were wondering if you wouldn’t mind leading our guardsmen.”  Brienne blinked.  It was an honor to be considered the head of the guardsmen, to be the head of the armies should the North ever wage war again, but with her current predicament, she wouldn’t be able to give it her all, not for a few years anyway.

And she didn’t know if Jaime would care about staying in Winterfell, given its not-so-grand memories for him. Not that she blamed him.  Then again, she wasn’t sure she’d be as comfortable at Casterly Rock or Kings Landing as she was at Winterfell.  Tarth was most likely not an option for either of them.

“I’m honored, Sansa,” Brienne said, having to make an effort not to call her ‘My Lady’. “But I believe I should inform you first that I’m with child, so my ability to handle the responsibilities of such a post would be limited in the foreseeable future.”

“A baby!” Sansa said with a smile and her eyes lit up.  “Oh, that’s great news!  Of course, you must think it over, but I would still like you to consider it.  I think Tyrion would also love having his brother and future niece or nephew around.  He doesn’t talk about it much, but he misses his brother.”  Her smile faded.  “As I am sure the two of us can understand.”  Brienne nodded. Tyrion had the opportunity that neither she nor Sansa did.  Robb and Galladon would never be able to come back.

“Thank you for understanding.”

“Have you come up with any names?”  Sansa leaned forward, clearly done with the depressing thoughts of earlier, purposely changing the subject to happier things.  “I always like the name Edmure, like my Uncle.”

“We have an idea, but I think waiting for the child to be born would be the best option.  Otherwise we might end up calling it one name and find out its meant to have another.”  She didn’t want to admit that in her head she was already calling it Rhodri.  Jaime on the other hand kept calling it ‘she’ as if he was certain it was going to be a girl.  Little Jo.

“And when would that be?”

“The closest the Maester could figure is about six months.”  The Maester hadn’t been quite sure.  It might be closer to seven months and Brienne certainly hoped so.  It would give her time to figure out where they were going to settle in the post war peace as well as get used to the idea.

“Hopefully they’ll be born in spring.  Maester Tully claims that the Citadel sees the onset of Spring soon.  I was so afraid this winter would last forever.  They kept saying it would, after such a long summer.  But it seems it wasn’t so much length as it was intensity this time around.”

Brienne agreed.  “It will also be nice to see things reborn in Westeros after such a harsh time.”

“Sometimes I find it hard to remember what it was like before it was War and Winter.”  Sansa said, leaning back, once again in a solemn mood.  “Sometimes I have trouble remembering what it was like those days before we left to go to Kings Landing, before my life changed forever.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”  Sansa looked up at her words, blinking.

“Thank you, but it was not you who made me suffer.  That blame lies in the choices made by my father and the Lannisters.”

“I am a Lannister now.”

“As am I.  Tyrion was probably the nicest to me given the situation, other than Myrcella and Tommen.  Tywin had no use to me so he was indifferent until he decided to marry me to his son.  I think I was meant as a punishment almost more than it was meant to punish me.  Jaime was hardly ever there, though he had a hand in it.  And he sent you to help me save myself.  And for that I thank you.”  She bit her lip.  “I don’t think I ever have.  You came in, and you let me take the final steps.  I wasn’t rescued like a damsel even though I felt like one.  You allowed me to have a choice that was so relieving even more the  finally making it home.  I had a choice.”

“There is no need to thank me.  I was just doing my duty.”

“I know,” Sansa said with a smile.  “But I have learned that there are many interpretations of duty, and you could have given up when my mother died.  Which is one story you must tell me, but not today.  Not when we have something to celebrate.”  She grinned now.  “I think we should make an announcement at dinner tonight.  See if the kitchens can scrounge up something special for dessert.  Its not every day I get told I’m going to be an Aunt.”


	3. Jamie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After talking to Cersei, Jamie remembers how his relationship with Brienne turned towards the romantic, and worries about talking to his brother.

Jaime returned to his rooms after telling Cersei about the baby, stuck in memories.  She had kept asking why Brienne, how had it happened that he had fallen in love with the warrior maiden.  He had tried his best to explain to his sister.  The memories still lingered in his mind though, and not Cersei.

He could remember his first kiss with Brienne like it had just happened. He couldn’t remember some of the particulars. He had said something, a joke, that had irritated Brienne enough to pull him back by his hair, which had grown long again. Her eyes had been blazing, beautiful and blue and he had been hit with an overwhelming urge to just kiss her and ignorance of the slight pain the tug had caused. It wasn’t the first time he had felt like kissing her, but this is the first time he felt free to follow through with the half thought idea.

It wasn’t till much later he recognized the parallels with their first journey. They had been in that position before, only then he had been teasing her about her love for Renly Baratheon and was sympathizing with her for loving someone she shouldn’t. This time there was no Renly, no sympathy, and definitely no Cersei to stop him from twisting into her and putting his lips to hers.

She had gasped in surprise and he had resisted deepening the kiss. He had enough common sense to know she wouldn’t care for that, she needed to meet him on equal terms. He was surprised when a moment later her other hand joined her left and her hold on his hair softened as she stepped closer, allowing him to straighten his body out into a more comfortable position.

Both of them had forgotten Pod had followed them out from the Inn they had been staying in to recover from Lady Stoneheart’s men. They also didn’t notice him slowly backing up and returning to the Inn with a grin on his face. He had only heard about it later when the young squire had felt comfortable enough to tease them.

At some point they had ended up against a tree, pressed against each other as they took their full of each other. It seemed like a dam broke and they couldn’t stop. It had not been what he had expected. Whenever he had thought about kissing Brienne, she had always been shy and it had taken a while to warm her up to the idea. Instead his wrench seemed all for it, meeting his caresses with her own. It made him grin into the kiss.

It was only when they realised their hands had delved under clothing and they were on the verge of going further than either of them were ready for did they stop. They stood there, breathing deeply as they caught their breath, just staring at each other hoping the other didn’t regret what had happened. It seemed like hours and seconds as he watched her eyes for any sign that they had changed their relationship for the worse.

The moment stuck in his mind the most was when she softly smiled and took his hand and led him on to the practice yards, snow resting lightly on her hair from where it had fallen off the tree. There was something about that smile that made his heart lurch and made him realise it wasn’t just familiarity or wanting something that wasn’t Cersei. He had fallen for her, flaws and devoutness to duty included.

He had wondered how it had happened, and couldn’t pinpoint a time when he had switched from disliking his jailer to finding her his best friend and the only woman he wanted next to him in the future. He suspected it happened sometime around the time she took care of him without complaint, and tried to force him to realise he wasn’t just his sword arm. When he realised he trusted her more than he had anyone since his mother died. Since he killed Aerys only to turn around and see the looks of disgust on Stark’s face.

He hadn’t told her how he felt till a few weeks later when they had finally crossed that line from friends who periodically explored each other’s body with soft touches and kisses to full out lovers. That had actually come from a fight as well. He grinned as he remembered. It seemed their milestones as a pair came from fighting. And he never regretted.

That particular fight had been on the practice fields, not too far from the Vale. It had been snowing but they had decided to practice still. Pod had chosen to stay at the Inn, trying to purchase what they needed for their next leg of the journey, so they had been alone. She had won, although not as easily as she had, so it was clear he was improving even if not to the standards he wanted. He had been on the ground, staring up at her, breath coming out in bursts of exertion. She had been looking down at him, the sun shining against her hair that had gotten somewhat wet from the snow. She had looked like a warrior angel, even if she hadn’t had the beauty for one. Her sword had been his neck and she had leaned towards him asking him to yield.

Instead of saying he would, he moved a leg to trip her into falling against him but making sure to knock her sword out of the way before wrapping a hand around the back of her neck and bringing her mouth to his.

Apparently whatever he had felt that day she had felt likewise because she had pulled him up and then pulled him towards their rooms in the Inn where they had proceeded to become much more acquainted then the Lord Commander and a former Rainbow Guardswoman should. They had learned each other’s bodies and he had been surprised how different it had been from Cersei. He should have known, but he had somehow still expected it to be the same. But Brienne reacted differently, and when things were all said and done, she drew him closer rather than pushed him away. Their lovemaking was full of laughter not worried gasps telling the other to hurry.

It was not that his time with Cersei had been bad, it was just different and he found that he quite liked that fact.

And neither had given a damn about what it meant. Not that day anyway. The doubts and such had come when they were around people again and realised that what people would see when they looked at the two of them.

People still gave them looks, even now, months later. They still wondered about the relationship. Some wondered if Brienne was just a cover-up for his relationship with Cersei (which he prayed Brienne never heard.  He knew she had insecurities involving his sister, he’d rather not have the camp add to them). Others still whispered cruel names, not accepting that Brienne had been his wife for longer than his mistress. They had married at the Vale, Robert Arryn and Sansa Stark as their witnesses.

But he realised he had said his vows to her the night he first took her into his bed and made love to her. As far as he was concerned she had been his wife the whole time, that the gods knew it, and the ceremony was only to legalise it for other people. And he could admit because for the first time he was in a relationship he could parade in front of the public and not have them saying he should be ashamed for feeling as he did.

He also had to admit that it gave him a sense of pride when she stopped being introduced as Brienne of Tarth, but instead as Lady Lannister. And in his more shallow moments he admitted he had quite liked seeing Cersei’s expression when a man referred to Brienne as Jaime’s wife.

He loved her enough that it scared him sometimes. He was afraid she’d wake up one morning and realise she had trapped herself with a man a decade and a half older with a good chance of being killed by the queen in a few months. That she’d realise that he didn’t deserve her, not after the crimes he had committed in his life.

She knew all about them. During their entire relationship it had seemed like she had pulled secrets out of him with little effort and he couldn’t stop spilling into her his soul. She had known first about Aerys, and she had picked up things along the way after that. After Lady Stoneheart, he had confessed his other crimes. About Bran Stark, about Cersei, about his brother. She knew it all, but somehow still loved him. Her capacity to love amazed him.

She loved his children too, despite knowing how they came to be. She seemed especially fond of Tommen, who seemed as fond of his stepmother. He had woken on several mornings alone in bed only to go out to the practice yards at Winterfell to find his son learning swordwork. Brienne had the patience to teach. Other boys from Stannis’ men had come along and were learning aside the boy king. She taught them all, gave them all equal amounts of her attention.

She would be a great mother. He had less certainty about his own skills.

He sat down on the bed he shared with Brienne, waiting for her to return from her morning meeting with his good-sister.  Tyrion had been out with some stone masons trying to arrange for the building for some extra quarters for those who wanted to remain at Winterfell and not sleep on the floor in the great hall.  So he had time to waste before meeting his brother for lunch.  

He was nervous about telling Tyrion.  After Brienne, it was his opinion that mattered most to Jaime.  Their relationship was still shattered, still needed repair and he hated that.  He hated how much he missed his brother, how much he wanted to say he was sorry.  He doubted Tyrion felt any guilt about telling him the truth about Cersei.

Someone had once said that the fear of death clarifies things, and it had.  That night with the corpse of Catelyn Stark holding a sword to his neck, there are had been things that had immediately been clear to him.

He was as guilty as Cersei when it came to their relationship. Yes, she had cheated, and yes it hurt like hell, but he wasn’t a victim of her manipulations.  He had gone into that relationship knowing he’d have to share her.

He just had assumed he knew who he was sharing her with.

Either way, he had learned he had to let go of his anger at Cersei, to stop berating her in his mind for what she did.  They would never go back to what they were, could never be lovers, almost spouses in the way they were.

He had also realised that his brother had to have been so mad at him to tell him the truth.  Those rumors had been going on for years and Tyrion had kept it from him to spare him all that time.  

Telling Cersei about being a father again seemed easy in comparison to telling the one person he knew probably wouldn’t wish him well and who he wished really would.

He hopes that this new child would have a relationship with its siblings like he used to have with Tyrion.  The teasing, the quiet confidence that even when things were going shit up, there was one person out there who would always have your back.

He’d tell the kids about the baby at dinner.  They had gone off with the Stark children to explore some of the ruins so they wouldn’t be back till then.

But first, Uncle Tyrion was to be told.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up Next: Tyrion Lannister, Lord of Winterfell and Casterly Rock.


	4. Jaime & Tyrion - and their wives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Aftermath of Jaime and Tyrion's conversation.

Sansa frowned as her husband stumbled towards her, drunker than he had been at their wedding.  She had noticed him leaving with his brother around lunch and not coming back till halfway through dinner, soused and not quite hiding it as well as he was known to.  Jaime looked only slightly better, but then he had more body mass to share the alcohol.

She stepped forward to help him get to their bedroom they were now sharing since they had decided to try to have an actual marriage.  Not that they had advanced that notion further.  Tyrion still slept on the hard wooden bench that sat at end of the bed.  While she appreciated his patience, she was the one starting to get impatient now. How was waiting going to make it any better or worse than it would be if he actually came to bed.

Maybe she should have asked Brienne about tips on dealing with a Lannister for a husband.

“I take it you and your brother had a good talk.”

“He’s going to have a kid.”

“Yes.”

“You knew?”

“Brienne told me after I offered her a place at Winterfell.”  Tyrion groaned.  “What?  You thought it was a good idea.”

“Well, that was before I knew he actually loves her.”

“What?”

“Jaime, the ass.  He actually loves his wife.”

“Some people are lucky that way.”

“I suppose.  I loved my wife, you know.” Sansa froze.  He wasn’t talking about her, she knew that.  But he had never mentioned the rumored wife.  “I loved her, and between my father, Jaime and my own stupid self I lost her.  More then lost her.  I..”  He stumbled off the bench she had led him too and walked towards the cabinet he knew she kept some drinks.

“I think you have enough, Tyrion,” she said.  “Are you...angry with Jaime for being happy?”

“I don’t know what I am.”  She sighed and reached out a hand to touch his shoulder.  He sounded so lost right then, and she hadn’t ever thought he’d sound lost.  He was one of the formidable Lannisters.  When had they ever been lost?

But then again, in their years apart, Tyrion had been accused of murder by his sister. became an actual murderer of his father, and spent a year or so traveling around Essos. She only knew parts of the story.

“He was always kind to me, you know.”  He slumped onto the bed that was closer to him now then his bench.  “Forgetting Tysha, he was always kind.  He protected me from the rest of my family when he could, went to war for me once.  At least I know he did.  Father went because of image, but Jaime went out of love.  So its hard to remember all that and to know he did what he did.”

“We all make mistakes, your brother has made more than his fair share.  But I think this seems to weigh on you just as much as it does him.” Sansa was surprised at her defense of Jaime, but figured perhaps if Bran could forgive the man who crippled him, she could forgive him too. And he had helped her more then she knew how to tell him during the journey home.

“He tried to apologise again. He’s been into this truth thing since he met Brienne.  He had to tell me the truth, oh how I wish he wouldn’t.”  Tyrion looked almost sick.  She glanced over at the chamber pot and wondered how she could move it over closer to the bed.

“Brienne has a good influence.”

“I was going to offer him Casterly.”  Sansa’s eyes grow wide.  She might not know much about her husband, having previously chosen to only see him when she had to, but she knew he wanted Casterly.  He wanted to be lord over his father’s lands.

“But why?  That was your inheritance.  Daenerys plans on giving it to you.”

“As amazing as I am, Sansa, both Winterfell and Casterly deserve their own set of Lords and Ladies to rule over it.  And I’ll be spending a portion of the year in Kings Landing.  I thought since he wasn’t a kingsguard anymore, I could convince her Grace to let him live so that someone somewhat loyal to the crown was in charge. I figured I could send him and Cersei there, they could have their happy ending away from me and I could try and have mine here.  I don’t mind the cold as much as I used to.”

“Liar.  You hate the cold.”  She smiled in sympathy.  “How does this change things?”

“He wouldn’t want to be parted from Brienne.  Especially now that she’s going to give him a child he could call his own.  I never knew he wanted one.  I don’t think  he thought he wanted any, but you should have seen his face.”  She figured she could imagine.  Brienne’s face had been half embarrassment but half a dreamy look as she talked about this child.  

“And I gave her Winterfell?”

“Yes.  And I can’t decide if that is better or worse.”  He flopped down on the bed.  “There’s still a part of me that’s angry.  A part that wants him to suffer like I did, but I have to admit my own part in what happend with Tysha.  I so quickly believed them.”

“I think I understand Brienne’s statement now.”

Tyrion made a sound of confusion.

“Brienne once commented that she wished she had met your father while he was alive.  She might have relieved you of the duty of patricide if she had.  The more I hear of Tywin, the less I like or respect the man.  And my opinion of him was poor to begin with.” She paused, a question coming to her mind. “Tyrion?”

He mumbled something into the pillow.  She merely smiled at the image he made, trying his best to bury himself in the bed.

“Do you want children?”

 

* * *

 

“Jaime Lannister, you are drunk.”

“Thank you, Wench.  I would never have known.”  

“You were supposed to talk to your brother.  Not try and drunk each other under the table.”

“Couldn’t do it.  He drinks with Cersei, Tyrion’s got training,” Jamie responded, flopping on the bed. A few minutes later Brienne nudged his knee with her leg and he moved his arm from where it covered his eyes to see her standing above him, with a glass of water.  She looked quite lovely to his drunken eyes.  It was hard to explain to other people that despite the fact that Brienne would never be a pretty woman, he couldn’t help but find her appearance appealing to look at.

Maybe it was because she was his Brienne, not just any woman.  She knew who he was, she knew him more than any other person and still stuck around. And he was undoubtedly hers in every way a person could belong to another one.

He sat up and took the water, drinking it.  he knew if he didn’t, he would regret in the morning.  His siblings might have ways to combat hangovers, but he didn’t as he wasn’t as much a drinker as they were. He placed the place on the stand near the bed and pulled his wife towards him, ignoring her squeak of surprise.  He leaned his head against her stomach, hands on her thighs to anchor her to him, closing his eyes. He sighed in pleasure as Briene placed her hand on his head, running her fingers through his hair, lightly scratching his scalp. Gods, this felt good. He felt good.  Despite the ambiguous end to his discussion with Tyrion, he was the most at peace he had been since before Aerys died. The Others were, hopefully, gone. His children were as safe as they could be, his sister and brother were both alive, and actually managing to coexist within the same hundred mile radius without bloodshed.  And he had Brienne, and now the small life that was growing inside her.

Resting against her, he could feel the minute changes that were starting to appear.  There was a slight curve to her stomach that wasn’t there before, but not enough to truly call it a bump. Her skin felt a shade warmer than usual as well.  He sighed again, looking up at her.  She was watching him with a slight smile on her face, her blue eyes full of love he never expected to have.  Even now, married, he sometimes was surprised about how willing she was to show her emotions for him.

He thought about his conversation with Tyrion. The possibility that his life was going to end in the coming months was growing smaller.  Tyrion had implied the Queen was willing to pardon him if he was willing to explain what happened that night to her.  To make her understand why he had broken his vows.  He of course would never be allowed back on the Kingsguard, but for the first time in a long time he was actually finding that less appealing. But then again, he was happy doing things the Kingsguard would put a stop to.

Grinning he motioned towards his wife’s abdomen.  “Think the cub’s asleep?”

“Cub?” Brienne repeated with a light laugh, amusement coloring her features.  “I think you are taking your banner symbol a bit too personally. And I doubt he’s big enough to be aware of what is going on outside, so why does it matter?”

“First off, I can assure you I’m not the only one who makes comments like that. If you don’t think the Starks call themselves wolves, or the Baratheons thought of themselves as Stags, you are mistaken.  And Secondly, there are activities I want to get up to with _her_ mother, so I’d just as well not have her aware.” With that he tugged her onto the bed with him, laying on their sides as their mouths met and they curled into each other.


	5. Myrcella

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Myrcella tries to come to terms with her family relations as well as hope for the best for her relationship with Trystane Martell. Tryion meanwhile decides Jaime should start handling fatherly duties.

When Lady Sansa announced at dinner that Brienne was expecting, Myrcella was both surprised and not. She had suspected her...aunt’s pregnancy but after the argument the two had before the last fought battle she had assumed Brienne would be in denial for awhile longer. She wondered what had been the point that had made Brienne actually believe her.

Myrcella had spent quite a few hours with Brienne over the last couple of months that she had been at Winterfell. She had come to help, along with men from Dorne, and she had been assigned the role of nurse. She had learned quite a lot under the tutorage of Sam Tarly, and while the signs of pregnancy were not listed in field medicine manuels, she had learned enough from the women in Dorne and her own mother what they were.

She hadn’t figured out what she felt about the situation. On one hand it had been nice to see Uncle Jaime happy, as it had been rare growing up to see him truly happy. There were moments here and there, and it couldn’t be said that he was miserable, but she had always noticed his smiles never seemed to run all the way through other then when it was for her or Tommen and Uncle Tyrion. And she imagined, now knowing the truth, he was probably the happiest when he and her mother could spend time alone without Robert or the children interfering.

So that was the second thing she had to deal with. Uncle Jaime wasn’t her Uncle. Well, he was, but he was her father. It was easy to claim that Myrcella and Joffrey had taken after their mother, but Tommen was almost the spitting image of Jaime when he was a teen, and frankly as she had dealt with the knowledge over the years, she started to see traits in herself that could be traced back to her Uncle.

Brienne was her step-mother as well as Aunt, though it was still easier to consider her simply an Aunt. That this new child was simply her cousin. But she couldn’t lie to herself completely. She knew this was another sibling. Maybe a sister.

Tommen had somehow dealt with the issue, or at least enough to be able to come to an understanding with their Uncle. On occasion Tommen even called him father. The first time Jaime had been shocked into stillness, but Myrcella could see that her Uncle had been touched that Tommen had felt comfortable enough to call him that.

She imagined this was hard for him too, after decades of reminding himself that while he had sired them, they were Robert’s children. His niece and nephews. It made her slightly jealous of this new child, one who would wake up with Jaime as a father, with both of them knowing the truth. She also suspected Jaime would never look at this child and openly regret that it was not another woman’s child.

Robert had not been an unkind father, but there had been moments when he was deeper in his cups than usual when he had openly declared how much he wished she had been Lyanna’s daughter. She could remember her mother’s angry glances, and Tyrion and Jaime’s frowns. All she thought was why wasn’t she good enough. It took years for her to realise she was good enough, but Robert was caught in his past and had trouble dealing with his present. One which included her.

She was glad, despite her envy, that her new brother or sister would not have to go through that, would never have to hear someone accuse her of being a bastard, or find out they were a result of something most people found abhorrent.

She wasn’t sure what she thought. She usually boxed that thought up and pushed it away because the last thing she wanted to think about was her mother and Uncle having sex. She didn’t understand it, but it wasn’t for her to understand. She wasn’t sure they understood.

She and Tommen were among those who congratulated Brienne, who was red as their family banner. Clearly she hadn’t expected it to be announced to the entire room. Jaime was absent from the seat beside her, as was Uncle Tyrion who sat in the big chair next to Lady Sansa. Some of the men who had fought with Brienne under Uncle Renly - and she refused to call him anything but - seemed to make some cruel jokes, but the glares that came from the others who had truly fought beside her these past years soon put an end to that.

In the early morning light, it was easy to think over what had happened. Especially as the breakfast table which oddly enough contained the whole Lannister family for the first time since perhaps before Father died, was mostly silent. Uncle Tyrion and Jaime didn’t seem to enjoy the light much though Lady Sansa seemed amused by Tyrion’s complaints. Brienne didn’t look too happy, and neither did Uncle Jaime for that matter. Her mother meanwhile was arguing with the sole non-Lannister at the table, Ser Hyle Hunt. 

It is really awkward seeing someone flirt with your mother. It was not that she hadn’t known her mother was beautiful and had suitors, but she still had trouble of thinking of her mother wanting someone besides Father. And given the knowledge that she had carried on a 20 year affair with her brother of all people, it seemed odder that her mother was flirting back.

Especially as he looked nothing like Uncle Jaimie or Father and was a hedge knight.

“Lord Lannister.” Tyrion looked up to see the Maester, not Sam but another one who was testing out for the position to become Winterfell’s new permanent. “There is a raven from Sunspear. From Prince Dorian.

Myrcella tensed, wondering if this was the raven that would end her engagement to Trystane. She had grown fond of the boy, though she wasn’t sure if she loved him. She played with the bracelet he had given her, a woven leather one, to “remind you of me” while she was gone. It seemed while she was confused about her feelings for him, he was not confused by his feelings for her.

“I believe that is my brother’s,” Tyrion said, looking over at Jaime who had Frozen, fork halfway to his mouth. The Maester simply nodded and handed the slip of paper to Jaime. He glanced at her quickly, their eyes meeting and she realised that he was probably as nervous about their new status as she was.

“Well, read it.” Cersei stated. Mother was always impatient. Jaime however did as she asked and opened the paper to read its contents.

“Prince Dorian wishes to reconfirm Myrcella’s engagement. He claims that given the situation, he will understand if we wish to cancel it, but his son finds the arrangement suitable, despite Myrcella no longer being a crown princess.” Jaime handed the letter to Brienne whose look of irritation told Myrcella her father had paraphrased. Greatly.

“Well, thats good then. With that out of the way we can find Myrcella a suitable husband closer to home.”

“Myrcella, what do you want?” She blinked, not expecting to be asked her opinion.

“Of course she wants it cancelled. If Tyrian hadn’t sold her like cattle to Martell we wouldn’t even have to have this conversation.

“Cersei. I asked her.” Myrcella watched as her mother’s head snapped up to glare at her Father-Uncle, unused to him pushing her words away like that.

“I want it to continue.” She didn’t realise that was what she wanted till she said it, but she thought of Trystane, and the warm sands of Sunspear’s beaches. She missed it, and Arianne and Trystane. Her hand almost lifted to her face as she considered her injury, now just a scar. “I did not mind it, once I got to know him. He’s a nice man.”

“Are you sure?” Brienne stated. “There is no shame in saying no.” Myrcella had heard whispers of Brienne’s broken engagements, but she wondered how much truth were in those rumors. She suspected there was much to Brienne’s tale she was simply not aware of, and made a mental note to get to know her new Aunt...and stepmother...more in the coming months.

“Yes.” 

“Then that’s settled,” Tyrion stated, turning to call for some more food. 

“It is not all settled, I just got my daughter back, now you are selling her again?”

“Technically, sister dear,” and the way Jaime said that made even Tommen aware that he as irritated. “That ship sailed years ago. Myrcella had a choice and made it. I’m not going to go against it. Besides, whats waiting for here might be worse prospects. Would you prefer her with a Frey?” Brienne’s sharp look at her husband told Myrcella that his hypothetical would have not been without argument from her.

Her mother seemed to be fuming, yet remained silent while Hunt watched her amused. Myrcella hid a smile as she watched the Hedge knight. It seemed her Aunt’s former suitor was enamored with her mother a bit more then he would admit to.

She felt a little giddy, knowing now that her marriage to Trystane would go through, that he had fought for her. She wasn’t quite the prize for the Prince as she was when she was heir to the Iron Throne. She was maimed, scarred and no longer the beauty she had been said to be. She was also a barely legitimized daughter of two siblings who belonged to the family that killed Trystane’s aunt. She suspected it had taken a lot of argument.

She bit her lip and looked down at her food. Maybe there was a bit of a happy ending for them all at the table. 

Although, she thought, looking at her father and step-mom-aunt, they’d have to finish their argument first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I'm going to be skipping some time before the next one-shot, I'm going to just let you know that Jaime and Brienne are arguing over the offer to stay at Winterfell. Maybe one day I'll write it, but Its not been written yet.


	6. Brienne & Cersei

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brienne and Cersei have a chat

“You should drink this.”  Brienne blinked at the water case that was shoved in her face.  Looking up she blinked away the sun and saw Cersei standing in front of her looking massively uncomfortable.  She took the water, and took a drink, not shying away from watching her sister-in-law.

It was still weird to realise that was the truth.  Cersei Lannister-Baratheon, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, was her goodsister. She was also akin to her husband’s first wife, and the mother of his three children.  This was not a relationship that would be an example of smooth sailing.

“Thank you.”

“You should probably drink more water than usual.”

“I shall try.” She tilted his head.  “Why are you helping me?”

“I’m not a complete monster, you know.”  Cersei said hotly. “I can be helpful with no ulterior motive.”

“But you usually do. And I can’t say you’ve ever seemed fond of me.”

“Did you think I would be?”

“No, but again that does not explain why you are trying to be nice to me now.  Its never been a part of our relationship.”

“I hated you.”  Brienne was silent, allowing the woman to vent.  “At first you were the woman who represented those who had caused him harm.  Then you were the woman who stole him from me.”

“I did not.”

“No, I pushed as much as you pulled.”  She sighed and sat down beside Brienne at the table.  “My point is, I love my brother, and he loves you so there must be something about you worth knowing.  I don’t think I can ever become your best friend, but I suppose we could at least call a truce.  For Jaime’s sake.”

You need trust for a truce the memory shouted.  She suspected it would be a poor idea to bring up the story for Cersei.  After all it had been the first time she had seen Jaime in all his naked glory.

“I think I can do that.”

“As for helping you, I’ve never wanted harm to came to small children.  And that is Jaime’s child you carry and while I might not care for you, I care enough for him to not want something ill to happen to his child.”

 

* * *

 

Cersei was angry.  To be honest she wasn’t sure the last time she wasn’t angry, it had become so common place for her.  Angry at those who had taken part in her humiliation, angry at those who wanted to remove her from power.  Anger at her father for not realising his daughter was probably his best shot at that legacy he wanted.  Angry at Tyrian for killing their mother and then selling her daughter to Dorne.  Made at Jaime for not being perfect, for not seeing what she saw.  For falling in love with another woman.

She wasn’t lying when she said she wanted a truce with the woman, but that didn’t mean her anger about the situation had abetted. It hurt like hell to see him with her.  To see him so happily with her.  One could not deny that the two of them had was love.

He used to look to her like that.  Used to offer her anything in the world.  But then Brienne had showed up and reminded him he had made a vow, had dreams of the kind of man he wanted to be.  Started him down the path that made him try to fix himself.

And that included stepping back from her.  Made him realise they were growing apart and were no longer mirror images of each other.  It had taken her quite a bit longer.

What had hurt the most however was when she had found out that when he had gotten her letter, he had burned it and run off with Brienne instead.

Brienne who he had hardly known yet but had already trusted with secrets he had not told her. Had not told anyone, really.

She was coming to terms with it, though it was taking more time then she wished and that made her angry as well. Jaime had years of moving on already done.  She had been too busy trying to hold onto the throne to work on moving on.

Still she hadn’t liked what she had become anymore then Jaime had liked what he saw.  So she was trying to bring herself back to that 17 year old girl who wanted nothing more than to be a good Queen and a loving wife.  Before her rose colored glasses where Robert were concerned were smacked off by the reality he was never going to love her, not with Lysanna’s memory in the way.

She wondered where that girl had gone.  The one who had compassion and thought more about what was good rather then what would give her a better hold on her power.  The woman she prayed to the seven her daughter would grow to be.

So she made truces with her sister-in-law,  wished her well and the child as well.  She bit her tongue when she had comments that were biting yet not worthy.  She tried to learn how to let go, how to happy again.

So far, it wasn’t going very well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I first want to thank everyone who has been so kind as to review, as well as inform me of things that I might want to take into consideration when writing this. I really do appreciate the comments. However, I have come to the conclusion that I need to read a little more of the books and possibly revise previous chapters before I get too much further. So this will be the last one-shot for awhile. I'm not abandoning this fic, but I've realised that my ideas of the characters (In particular Cersei) are not fully formed yet, and I need to work on that before I can write them.
> 
> However bits and pieces might appear on my tumblr. And bits of this might show up in my drabble collection. Just nothing fully put together like it is here.


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